Catchin’ AIR on Birch Run! L to R: Kristina prepairng to drop in, Ava in mid-flight, Chris carving it up

Ava, me, and Kristina enjoy a moment on top of Madonna Mountain.

Rockin’ Ron for Hugh. Joy Kyle sent me a message on my Rockin’ Ron the Friendly Pirate facebook page asking if I could ski with her family this week. I replied in the affirmative. I’ve known the Kyles for many a year – they are summer regulars, but this is their first winter at the Mountain. Chris, Kristina, and Ava met me at the Mogul Mouse Lift and we took Midway over to the upper mountains. The trails conditions were packed powder which was very carve-able and made it easy to keep up our speed. On the way we saw the one of the Resort’s snowmaking reservoirs (which serves as Rumrunner’s Hideaway swimming and boating area in the summer). Trail picks were Catwalk, Drifter, Shuttle, and Poacher’s Woods. The girls wanted to do Blue Glades. I suggested a Red, White and Blue Glade… RED FOX GLADES (Red is in the name, Blue is the level of the trail, and white is the snow). Other trail picks included Lower Pipleine, Treasure Run, and Birch Run Terrain Park where we caught some air. It was a joy (even without Joy) to ski with the Kyles from CT.

While having lunch on the deck of the Black Bear I had a nice conversation with the Godfreys of NJ, another family I’ve know for many years. It was great to catch up.

In conclusion, with sunshine, spring conditions, and friends, it was a great day to catch some fresh air on the slopes of Smuggs!

Rockin’ Ron for Hugh. My friend Bruce Morrissey of smuggsphoto.com, not unsurprisingly, knows where and how to get the money shots. For many years he’s been taking photos & videos of families on the mountain and around the Resort, in Winter and in Summer. Today, we shot video of me skiing as the Friendly Pirate on Morse and Morse Highlands. This footage will be used to promote skiing to kids. When we finished filming we took Midway to Madonna for a fun run: Upper Chilcoot > Catwalk > Lower Catwalk > Lower Drifter > Red Fox Glades > Mulcahy’s Link > Lower FIS. Along the way Bruce snapped this photo of yours truly in action. Whether there were photos or not, it was a sunny day and I couldn’t miss this opportunity.

Rockin Ron for Hugh. If ye had to have a St. Patty’s Day Trail Pick, ye could do no better than Mulcahy’s Link. The Link trail on Madonna Mountain, was renamed this season to honor our recently retired, long-time President Bob Mulcahy. Bob still skis here every week with the 55+ Club. Cheering the trail choice were ticket seller Kathleen and ticket checker Sara. Top o’ the day to ye… now go link with yer Irish pals.

Solar Panels facing the morning sun in the presence of Madonna and Sterling Mountains. This photo was taken on Edwards Road near Bootleggers’ Basin, which serves as a snowmaking reservoir in the winter, and a swimming & boating area in the summer.

Rockin’ Ron for Hugh. Smugglers’ Notch strives to be and has been recognized for being an environmental leader. Some of our efforts include employing energy-efficient appliances, diverting food and paper waste to compost, and using Solar Panels (pictured here) to generate power. We also have the power to make you happy by providing skiing and riding on a snow covered mountain on a SUNNY day!

This SSU sign is near the Sterling Lift corral. You can see the snow coming down.

Rockin’ Ron for Hugh. Uncle Sam wants you and SSU* does too! They want you to learn how ski and ride, or how to ski and ride BETTER. Whether its working with the youngest snowboarders at the Burton Riglet Park, or skiing down Freefall with an expert group, or enjoying the camaraderie of the Women’s Weekly Clinics, they have something for everyone! From hour long Private Lessons to day long Camps, from Level 1 to Level 9, come one, come all. Its true, SSU want YOU.

*SSU is an acronym for Snow Sport University. In the summer it becomes SFU or Summer Fun University.

The Discovery Course at the Cookie Race on Sir Henry’s on Morse Mountain at Smuggs in Vermont, USA, indeed.

Rockin’ Ron for Hugh. All week long, vacationing kids make their parents jump through hoops. At the COOKIE RACE its payback time – kids ski through hoops and around gates for their parents pleasure. Thanks to our Wyndham friends, all the kids get a cookie at the finish line. I have a jolly good time announcing the race as my alter-ego Rockin’ Ron the Friendly Pirate. Bruce from smuggsphoto.com is also on hand to take photos of all the racers. The Cookie Race on Sir Henry’s is a long standing Thursday tradition at Smuggs. Elsewhere on Morse Mountain, I was bouncin’ on the bumps of Upper Morse Liftline, navigating the glades of Whitetail Woods and cruisin’ down Garden Path. For intermediates and experts who are on Morse because a family member or friend is a beginner, know that there are blue-squares and black-diamonds on the green-circle side of the Resort. So, you can HOOP it up on Morse!

Madonna Mountain Trails, L to R: Doc Dempsey’s (a small section is visible), Upper FIS, Freefall (with a clump of trees in the middle), and Upper Liftline (featuring the headwall where the Extreme Challenge takes place on March 8th).

Rockin’ Ron for Hugh. Of course I love all the great skiing that Smuggs has to offer, and it has been extremely GREAT lately! I also enjoy the social aspect of our friendly mountain. I ran into SSU legend Sherm White in Green Peppers and he said he was looking forward to reading the Blog. I shared a joke with Fletch and Doug who were holding court in the Black Bear with regulars and irregulars including Larry & Michele from Long Island, Tom & June from New Jersey, and Jean from Vermont (famous for her Maple Cotton Candy). I got to say hi to Steve Wry of Mountain Ops. He told me that Matt McCawley, also filling in for Hugh this week, was in the first group of Mitey Mites kids along with his daughter. I exchanged greetings with Sara, as she was cheerily checking tickets at the Madonna I Lift. My run of the day was the classic Chillycoot > Catwalk > Fizz > Lower Doc’s > Ruthie’s > Curley’s > Meadowlark. This ‘run’ is 2,610 feet of vertical and 3 miles of unadulterated joy and I dedicated it to recently departed friend and former Smuggs co-worker Bruce Tetrault.

The Village Lodge is home to Green Mountain Deli, Riga-Bello’s Pizzeria, Bootleggers’ Lounge, and Ben & Jerry’s Scoop Shop.

Rockin’ Ron for Hugh. Here’s the scoop… we’ve got the POWDER and we’ve got the Ben & Jerry’s. Enjoy one of the best snow years that Mother Nature has dished up, and top it off with a dish or a cone of the best tasting Ice Cream – yahoo and yummy! After a few runs, there are lots of good eats to be found at Smuggs: Green Mountain Deli has sandwiches and soups, the Mountain Grille has burgers, salads and dinner entrees, Riga-Bello’s has pizza and calzones, the Country Store has snacks and soups, and the Hearth & Candle offers fine dining in the evening. On the Upper Mountain there’s a variety of eating options: Green Pepper’s, the Black Bear Tavern, the Base Lodge Cafeteria, Top of the Notch, and the NEW Waffle Shack. We’ve got the snow and food… so eat, drink, and SKI merry!!!

Molly explains to me that the trail is wide enough for a Princess and her retinue.

Rockin’ Ron for Hugh. Hark ye! Today, I had the privilege of skiing with Long Island Royalty. Princess Molly of Mandalay, along with her mother Michele and her grandpa Bob, ruled the slopes. The young Princess was fearless in the woods and on the groomers, as she inspected her beloved Sterling and Morse Mountains. Over a repaste in the Black Bear, the Mandalayan Royal Court decreed that the day was a smashing success (without the smashing, of course).

Later this week, she’ll summon Dame Diane Oustinoff and Larry “her knight in shining” Arnold for further tutelage. Dame Diane and Sir Larry are esteemed members of the University von Snow Sport. Skiing with 3 generations of the Princess’s family was a crowning achievement for moi!

Rockin’ Ron for Hugh. It’s such a joy to be with someone when they ski a trail or terrain new to them. Sandra Soucy, Child Care Provider at Treasures, started out by saying “groomed Blue Squares, please”. Shortly thereafter she stepped outside of her comfort zone and conquered Norwegian Woods and Poacher’s Woods – still intermediate, but GLADED intermediate trails. These were the first substantial glades she has ever skied! I’m happy to report that she didn’t fall once, she came out in one piece, and most importantly she enjoyed herself. She had Norwegian Woods singin’ her tune. Being on Poacher’s was ironic though, since Sandra’s husband’s name is Al Capone, just like the famous Chicago bootlegger and old school O.G.

In unrelated news, it was great to see Floridians Cari and Pete while lunching at the Black Bear. They were taking their annual runs with Fletch. You may have read the article about Fletch, our Black Bear Bartender of 23 years, in the Winter 2014-2015 edition of Destination VT. So I say to myself “isn’t it good seeing friends from far and near, and skiing the glades and groomers at Smuggs”.

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Hugh Johnson

Hello skiers and riders! Thanks for checking out my blog. I've been skiing Smuggs since I was a young 'un, when my family moved to Vermont and made the resort a temporary home base. Full circle — now I'm introducing my own family to the mountain! Each day you'll find an entry and photo on mountain conditions and happenings, highlighting the great terrain we have spread over three mountains and the awesome adventures that skiers and riders of all ages can have out there! You'll also hear from Rockin' Ron Carter a couple days during the week. Maybe you'll spot him on his favorite run — Pirate's Plank on Sterling Mountain. We'll be out there on the slopes, and hope to see you — thanks for skiing and riding Smuggs!